Universal clamp.



- C. MORU.

UNIVERSAL CLAMP;

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 7. 1916.

1,201,380. Patented Oct. 17,1916.

t so subjected to seven :rnn srra'rns Parana: onnion CARL MOR'U', OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN AS SIGNOR TO THE BADGER BRASS MFG. 00., 0F v KEIN'OSHA, WISCONSIN, A CORYORA'llIQN OF WISCONSIN.

lnseful Improvements in Universal Clampsy of which the following is a 'specifieat1on. I

My invention relates to improvements in j,

universalclamps, and is particularly. Well 6 fitted for use where it is'desired tosupport a device or instrumentahty in sucha man ner thatitrnay-be adjustedto-oecupy any relative aiigular po'sition With'respect-to its support} Among the salient objects of the invention are/,1to providea funiversal clamp of the type referredito in which the device to he supportedniay a pair of'a-Xes arranged at an angle-to each 5 mm; to provide a5-constructio1rso arranged v i that thcelamprn'ay 'be' locked seenrelyin its 7 adjusted. positi on'liy' manipulating a single part; to prov de 111 a construction which includes a common member mtatably rei lated to a pairof independent members arranged on relatively inclined axes, a single flocking member the "manipulation of which I clamps both of said parts against their re- I v spective rotary movements; to provide in a v 39) constructionof the type last described an ar' rangoinent such thatthe independent momi may be frictionally heldin such a manher as to permit of adjustment of thedevice supported while at the same time .no manipation of the locking member is necessary to enable the device to inaintain its adjusted position; toprOVide a' compound frictional clam-p V of the; Ielass described so organized that the, n'iai'iipulation of a single locking member results in a substantially equal amountof tightening c' or looseningot the ,parts ;in each"o fftheir respective rotarylno'venientsgto prov de-a clamp of the class l described soorganizml that movement 06th? device with respect to its clamping means; to' provide a eonstriiction c which may he S0::KljflSlKKllLllill; it will tnin its adjiisterl position llllltlllilhuly though '1 "shocksov vibration; to

provide a, (ionstihuttion ivhich shall; be neat andgrape'l in uppearanee,-"exlieient. convenient in general, to provide an iin- UNIVERSAL CILAMP.

1 Specification a Letters ntent. Application filed January 7, .1916. Serial No. 70,727.

be rotated or adjusted about support will not. result in: tightemng or loosening of the nrmi] nilatiom mple in de-;

to nizm'ulaeture and ma1n'-,

Patented est; 17, 1916.

trove-d universal clainp of the character re ferred to.

' In. this specification I will describe the Qappli'cation of my invention to a clamp-used for supporting an electric search lamp on. aself-propelled 'vehicle, by aid of the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figin'e 1 shows a preferred form ofqclamp 'adjiistably supporting the-search lamp; Fig, 9 is a plan View of Fig. 1., showingthe, clamp only 5'15 ig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3- -3 Fig. 2 and Fig; 4 is a section taken" 'on the line H of Fig. i

Referring: to, the drawings,

la np 11; The search lamp is an ordinary electrically operated automobile lamp of the parabolic type, which need not he specifis call y described, since the details thereof form n'oiipart of my inren tioii.

- The (lamp n its pro t'errmlform is mounted upon ahorizontal arm or rod 12 which is secured to the wind-shield member 10 by means of a pair of opposed jawslil'and 14. partially enihraeing' the .xfc-rtieal rod 10 and preferably lined with felt 15 in order to avoid niarriiip the finishf oi the what-shield. The, inorahlejaw l t forced toward the jaw 13, which is integral with the horizontal; part '12, by means of a pair of spaced apart clamping screws 16. The rod 12 con stitutes the tired member of the clamp and "is intenrlocl to be permanently stationary ,with respect to then'iml-shield member 10.

Referring to Fig. ihit will he observed that f the outer end of saidhorizontal station. li vis reduced in its diiinietei' so as fto' roll Jeonstitutc a cylindrical stem 17 \vhich fits wvithin a evlindrioal longitudinal hole drilled in the cmn non clamping nwmher 1S. Said mjimnon clamping member *1Sl issan'ial out longitudinally'or axially, as shown at' 19 in Fig. 1, to awn-innit distancealong" its ails to impart a (ainsiderahle amount ofrrsiliency mi the ooter forked ends 20 and flhroughftheouter end of the connnon; clamping niemher'18,, and substantially at rightangles to'tlfiplane of the sawedi kerf 19,, ldrill a transverse ci lincl-i ical aperture whicli'admits' freely the threads of the,

clamping SCK'QW '22. The threads of said ,cl'amp n'g screw 22* are turned oil for some 10 represents fragmentarily a vertical rod, slich as a Windshield part, upon which it is desired tosupport adjustably the hand electric search distance fronione end ofthe serew,"the enti' p l 23 so reduced being inserted in the neck piece 24. The screw 22 is securely fixed against all movement in the neck piece 24 by a taper pin 25 driven through both of said parts. The neck piece 24 forms the outer or movable member of the clamp supporting the lamp, which is rigidly secured to the neck piece by means of an integral flange 26 and rivets 27. Both ends of the transverse hole through the common clamping member 18 are countersunk conically, as shown in- Fig. 3, the outer end of the neck piece 24 being similarly turned oil to fit into one of said countersinks. "Within the other countersink is rotatably seated a sliding cone-shaped collar 28 which may be forced into its seat by means of the wing-nut 29 threaded noon the outer projecting end of the screw 22.

In order to prevent removal and possible loss of the wingnut 29 and at the same time prevent theft of the lamp, the extreme outer end 30 of the screw 22 is left of its original diameter and is unthreaded. Along the outside of the screw 22 I mill a key-way 31, and when making the conical washer 28 the central hole is punched out into the shape indicated in Fig. 4, the inwardly projecting tip 32 so formed being of the proper width and depth to enter and slide freely within the key-way 31, thus preventing the washer 28 from turning upon the screw 22 when the wing-nut 29 is manipulated. In order to prevent the common clamp member 18 from working off the reduced cylindrical end 17 of the stem piece 12, I turn in the outer end of the latter a .circumferential groove 33 within which fits the end of the short ro'und pin fil'seated in an aperture drilled transversely in the outer face of the fork 20. Loss of said small pin 34 is prevented by drilling said hole closeenough" to the axis of the screw to bring the outer end of said pin 34 within the area of the inner face of the wing-nut 29.

The construction described is remarkably simple in its details and exceptionally easy and convenient to manipulate. The longitudinal cylindrical hole in the common clamping member 18 is drilled to such diameter that the reduced end 17 of the rod 12 rotates freely within said hole when the wing-nut 29 is unscrewed. Vhen, however,

the clamping nut 29 is screwed up, the forks amt 29 at the same time forces the conical washer 28 tightly into engagement with the countersink in the outer face of the forked part 20, and also forces the conical end. of the neck piece 24.- into frictional gripping engagement with the countersink in the.

'tially equal amount.

outer face of the forked member 21. Sincethe screw 22 is rigidly secured in the neck piece 24 by means of the pin 25, while the locked absolutely against rotary movement respectively in the common clamping member 18. If, however, it be desired to ad just the lamp or other device into a different angular posltion with respect to the station-. ary member. 12, the nut 29 is released sufficiently to allow said parts 12 and 21 to rotate with respect to the common clamping member 18.

I preferably proportion the areas of the various frictional gripping surfaces and the inclination of the cones so that the tightening of the common clamping member 18 will tighten the two rotary joints a substan- Thisenables me to: adjust the nut 29 in such position that the lamp .or other device may be moved about both axes of rotation with a substantially equal amount of torsional force, each joint having equal tightness. \Vhen the wing-- nut 29 'is properly adjusted, the lamp may.

by the exercise of a reasonable amount of manual strength be swung or adjusted in either orboth directions of rotary movement andwill maintain its adjustment in whatever angular position it may be placed. This is a great convenience in a universal clamp when employed for a purpose such as I have described, since there is no need to manipulate the'lamping nut whenever it becomes necessary to adjust the lamp. It will be observed that when movingthe lamp around its vertical axis, there is no tendency to rotate the nut 29 on the screw 22 on account of p the fact that the conical washer 28 is keyed to said screw.- A construction which admits of such an arrangement possesses great merit for that reason alone.

In view of the fact thpt the described deneeds, the scope of the invention mi st be determined, by reference to the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a universal clamp, the combination of a relatively fixed circular stem, :1 common clamping member rotatable'upon said stem and having a pair of opposed gripping surfaces embracing said stem, a relatively adjustable extension member rotatably arranged with respect to said common clamping member about on axis angularly disposed with reference tosaid rotary axis and having a gripping surfacengaging said clamp, and a screw passing through of movement toward or remote from the said clampand arranged to force said extension into gripping engagement with said clamp and simultaneously to force said opposed gripping surfaces into clamping engagement with said stem whereby all of said parts are locked together.

2. In a universal clamp, the combination of a relatively fixed cylindrical stem piece, a common. clamping member apertured to rotate upon said stem, the opposed sides of the interior of said aperture being capable from each other, a third member rotatable on said common. clamping member around an axis substantially at right angles to the axis of the stem, said third member and said common clamping member having cooperating frictional gripping surfaces, and a screw coaxial with the axis of rotation of said third member passing through said common clamping member and adapted simultaneously to force said thirdmember into gripping engagement with said common clamping member and said opposed gripping surfaces into clamping engagement with said stem.

3. Ina universal clamp, the combination of a longitudinally split common clamping member loijfgitudinally apertured at its end split, a stem piece having a. cylindrical end rotatably fitting within said aperture, said stem being positioned longitudinally within said aperture, the

1 split and of said common clamping member being transversely apertured, a third member rotatable upon said common clamping member about the axisof said transverse aperture and having circularigripping area cooperating with said common clamping member, a clamping screw passing freely through said transverse aperture and *rig idly secured atone end in said third memher, and a Wing-nut threaded upon the other end of said screw'a'nd adapted to force said common clamping member into engagement with said third member.

a. In a universal clamp, the combination of a'longitudinally split common clamping member longitudinally apertured at its end remote from the split,

a stem piece having a cylindrical end rotatably fitting within said aperture, said stem being positioned longitudinally within said aperture, the split end of said common clamping memb transversely apertured, a third member rotatable upon said common clamping member about the axis of said transverse aperture and having circular gripping area oooperating with said common clamping member, a; clamping screw passing freely through said transverse aperture and rigidly secured i of movement of said gripping Q the axis oi said steimsaid 105 er being at one end in said third member, a wingnut threaded upon the other end of said screw and adapted to force said common clamping'member into engagement with saidthird member, upon said screw interposed between said firing-nut and said common clamping mem- "5, In a universal clamp, end provided with a'circumferential groove at its outer end, a common clamping member longitudinally apertured at its inner end to admit said cylindrical end, a pin carried by said common clamping memberand having its end projecting within ,the groove of said stem to prevent end-wise movement of I said stein in said aperture, said common clamping member being sawed axially at its outer end and provided with a transverse cylindrical aperture at right angles to said saw cut and beyond the outer end of said stem, the outer ends of said aperture being enlarged, a third main member rotatably Seated within screw passing through said transverse aperture and having one of its ends rigidly secured in said third main member, a wing-t end of said screw, and a washer seated within the other 90,

nut threaded upon the outer enlargement of said transverse hole interposed between said wing-nut and said common clamping member and keyed slidably upon said screw.

6. 'In'a universal clamp, the combination of a relatively fixed cylindrical stem piece, a common clamping member rotatable upon said stem and having opposed portions engaging and' on opposite sides of said stem capable of movement toward each other to grip said stem, a third member rotatable on, said common clamping member around an axis substantially parallel with the direction portions and at right angles to third member and said common clamping member having cooperating frictional gripping surfaces concentric with the last named axis, and a screw coaxial with the axis of rotation of said third member passing through clamping member and said common adapted simultaneouslyto force said third member into gripping engagement with said common clamping member and said opp.osed\ gripping portions nto clamping engagement with said stem, the end of said stem stopping short of said screw, the stern axis the axis of the screw.

intersecting CARL MORU.

the combination of a supporting stem having a cylindrical 70 and a washer non-rotatable 65 one of said enlargements, a 85 

